Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Bobby Finkel

'I did my best, it wasn't much
I couldn't feel, so I tried to touch
I've told the truth, I didn't come to fool you
And even though it all went wrong
I'll stand before the Lord of Song
With nothing on my tongue but Hallelujah'.......Leonard Cohen

Was surfing My Space looking for old friends when I came across the page for Bobby Finkel, a friend from the old days in Philadelphia. I left Bobby a message on his My Space page and two-three days later heard back from his wife that he had passed away in January....I was saddened by this - Our paths had crossed several times over the years and whenever my travels took me back to Philadelphia I always made an attempt to contact him - I knew he was playing bass in various groups - something he always talked about during those early years.

What you have to know is that Bobby and I shared many a good time hanging out in Philadelphia during the 60's, listening to, playing and going to see music at the Electric Factory, The Trauma, Second of Autumn and a few other places that slip my mind at the moment.

I can vividly remember many fun nights spent in Rittenhouse Square talking and listening to music, walking along the river behind the Philadelphia Museum of Art (Bobby lived with his parents across the street) or staring at the statues inside the Rodan Museum.

He loved his family and loved his work - he will be missed.

The top photo is Bobby in Bucks County and the one below is myself and Bobby during our Edison Electric Band days. I have posted this one before and he is the second from the left - top row - I am on his right.

1 comment:

Harry, i came across your post when i was looking for images of the phila late 60s "scene." i was friends w/ the Phila band "John" when we were all in hisgh school. i was closest to the drummer, Rick Berman (i've since become a drummer and have been playing professionally as a side gig for almost 40 yrs now) i knew Bob a little bit, but recall how generous a guy he was. at that point i was just starting to play bass, and he lent me his - which meant i carried it home from a gig they were playing at the artist's hut on walnut st. - a trip that meant walking from what 19th? 20th? street to the subway, and then taking a bus home (the band was going to rehearse at my house later the next weekend because my parents were out of town . . . ) wow - who would think it safe today for a 16 yr-old kid by hinmself to carry an instrument on that route?) i really appreciated Bill's generosity. if i recall it was a Zim-Gar and during the intervening week, i brought it to school to show a friend who was also into music. during a study hall i took it out of the case and (we had a very lax teacher protoring the SH) my friend Doug showed me a few licks on it. Later, Doug would play bass w/ Santana . . . he was also a too-early casualty of R & R, passing away in the late 70s, i believe, from an overdose. when i accessed your posting, i was not able to bring up the picture - could you maybe email them to me at eaglearn@comcast.net ? thanks